


Llymlaen's Call

by Kosho



Category: Dragon Age II, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Cat Ears, Cat Puns, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-05-26 22:51:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6258922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kosho/pseuds/Kosho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders finds himself in a strange world, saved from the freezing waters of the sea by an even stranger girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes: Limsa Lominsa is located on the Rhotano Sea, so any mention of the sea here refers to that. 
> 
> Llymlaen is the patron deity of Limsa Lominsa, and is called the Navigator, Wind aspected, and watcher of the seas. 
> 
> Miqo'te: Split into Seekers of the Sun and Keepers of the moon, they are Eorzea's cat race.

** **

**The last thing he could recall was an explosion. Then bitter cold overtook him, and he knew he was dead. There was no way to survive a blast like that. Where it had even come from, he couldn't recall, he hadn't been able to look for the source. Just like that, his bittersweet tale had come to an end.**

* * *

 

**Sitting on the docks, she quietly hummed to herself, pole cast far out into the sea. The fish here were common, but perhaps she could make a little gil off them regardless. The tip of the pole jumped and thrashed, and the young girl was certain she had hooked a whopper. Struggling valiantly, she couldn't manage to reel it in much, fearing the line would snap. As she regretfully let go, she noticed the form bobbing hopelessly in the water. Without a second thought, she tossed her pole on the dock, her battered tome resting beside it as she dove in. It was _freezing_ , mouth filling with salt water as she paddled over to it. Spitting it out, she gripped the limp body, dragging him slowly back. **

**Poking at him curiously, he didn't move, and for a moment she believed he might be dead. Frowning a little, she held his nose, filling his lungs with air and compressing his chest, repeating it until he spat up the water. Her rosy pink and white hair clung to her face, obscuring her appearance as he came to. He was alive, but how had he managed to survive? He reached out to push the hair from her face to see who had rescued him, but she pulled away. Standing then, she grabbed the pole, putting it away. He tried to stand, but his body hurt all over. Her clothes were soaked to the skin, best to go back to her room for the night. Sighing some, she glanced back, pushing her hair away from her mouth, she spoke finally.**

**"Do you** **…** **have someplace to stay?" she asked, hesitantly.**

**This man could be someone dangerous for all she knew, but she couldn't just leave him out here to himself. It would be dark soon enough, and the sea air would be cold, he could even freeze to death. She hadn't just saved his life to let him die there.**

**"I don't. I'm** **…** **not even sure where I am." he replied quietly.**

 **"This is Limsa Lominsa. I** **…** **can share my room with you for the night. You need to dry off, and warm up." she said, still feeling odd about offering it to a stranger.**

**"That's kind of you, but I don't think I can quite move." he replied honestly.**

**He had a point. Nothing to do about it after all. Grabbing the book from the ground, she tucked it safely in her bag where it would remain dry. Bending low, she carefully draped his arm around her shoulder, helping him stand. She supported him around the waist, leading him back to the Wench. Flicking a nod to Baderon as she walked through, the Innkeep opened the door for her so she could lead him in. Sitting him upright in a chair, she dug through the drawers, looking for something dry for him. Finding a plain bathrobe, she figured that would have to do. Setting it in front of him on the desk, she bent down to search again. Well, if nothing else, she still had that hooded old robe she had received from the guild. That would have to do for now, her accommodations most modest, barely enough for her alone.**

**"Do you remember your name, where you're from?" she questioned.**

**"Anders." he said, perhaps it would be best if she didn't know much about him.**

**Standing behind him to make sure he wouldn't look, she changed in silence, her eyes fixed on the back of his head. When she had finished, she sat on the edge of the bed, wet tail swishing back and forth to try and make it dry faster.**

**"What about you. Do you have a name?" he asked.**

**Straining to sit up, he pulled at his sleeves, wincing as he did. She had done a lot of work for people she didn't know the whole time she was here, but the idea of helping him dress was asking a bit much. Staring at the rather plain blanket, she pondered whether or not to lie to him.**

**"I do. Khloe.** **“** **she replied, deciding on honesty.**

**Watching him struggle out of the corner of her eye, she stood up going to help him once more. Helping him stand, she turned her attention to the crack of the door while he worked to get dressed. Once he was done, she led him over to the bed, easing him to sit. He could use the bed; she didn't mind curling up on the floor.**

**"I'll bring you back something hot. It'll help." she stated, leaving rather quickly.**

**Sitting down at the counter, she shook her head slightly. It was her hope she wouldn't regret allowing someone she didn't know so close. Placing the order for the soup, she gestured at the bottles lining the shelves. Baderon set a drink in front of her, and she slid a few gil across the counter. Interesting to see her there in this capacity, the young hero had never before ordered a drink here. Mouth barely touching the opening, she tipped it back slightly, face twisting in mild agony as the sensation was horrible. He laughed a little, cleaning out some mugs, watching her in amusement. Khloe nearly had it gone by the time the soup arrived. Polishing off the last of it, she carefully brought it back to her room, setting it on a stand by the bed so it could cool off.**

**"Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked, gesturing to the staff leaning against the table. "Do you not care what I am?"**

**She looked back at the staff, shrugging. "Why would I care about you being a mage? Not like there aren't a thousand of those running around." Pausing for a moment, she dug through her bag, grabbing her book. "Not everyone thinks so, but I'm a mage too, technically." she told him, almost as though defending herself.**

**This was clearly not the same place he had been, that was certain. He had never even heard of this place. He wondered if anything was the same. "No mage prisons? No Templars?" he pressed.**

**Lofting a brow, she looked at him strangely. "Did ya hit your head or somethin'?" she asked, a hint of an accent coming out for a moment. "There's nothing like that. Unless by Templars, you mean the Paladins. I like how shiny the armor is." she sighed, lip pressed forward in a slight pout.**

**Maybe it was a good thing he was here. Nothing like the things he was used to fighting and running from. A fresh start, he supposed. The problem was that he didn't know a thing about it, and this girl was his only chance of finding out anything. She flipped the hood down, feeling her hair to see if it had dried. It was long and wavy, pink, but tipped in white. The dim candlelight meant he couldn't see very well. What he could see was stripes on her face, a set of fuzzy ears on top of her head. Curled around her hip was a long, fluffy pink tail. He had to be dreaming, or dead after all. A cat that also suspiciously looked like a woman. He sighed some, dream or not, the silence was too much.**

**"Ahh, the soup. Can you manage, or do you need help?" she asked curiously.**

**He probably could have done it, but he wanted a closer look at her. Moving over slightly, she took the small space next to him, holding the bowl on her lap as she tended to him. Up close, he could make out the light freckles crossing her face across her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. A black tear-shaped marking on her forehead. From here, he could tell the ears were definitely attached, some manner of jewelry piercing the tips.**

**"You're a cat...?" he asked finally.**

**Her ears flicked slightly at the term, but she nodded. It could be possible somehow that he had never seen her kind before, couldn't it? "I am a Keeper of the Moon. A Miqo'te?" she clarified. The look on his face suggested he really couldn't tell. Khloe found herself unsure how exactly to react to that. Setting the now empty bowl off to the side, she prepared to get up.**

**"I... can I touch your ears?" he requested, hoping to himself that he wasn't offending her.**

**Her wide eyes narrowed slightly, one very pink eye and one purple eye watching him suspiciously. Some minutes passed and she tipped her head slightly, seemingly satisfied with whatever she had been watching for. His fingers probed the back of her ears slowly for a moment, unable to resist the urge to scratch lightly at the backs. Her eyes flickered shut and she stretched back slightly, purring softly. Coming back to her senses, she sat up, pouting again with a huff, pushing herself to stand up. She sat in the chair, keeping her back to him.**

**"I... am not sure how to get around here. I wonder if I might accompany you for a little while?" he pressed.**

**Her tail bristled, stiffening a little at his words, and she turned her head a little. "I might be willing to let you. What do you actually do?" she countered.**

**"I'm a healer." he stated.**

**Resting her fingertips under her chin, she thought about it. It wasn't much but she could already heal a little, though if he was any good at it, it would be to her benefit. "I suppose you can. We'll have to have a talk about the sleeping arrangements though." she grumbled.**

**"You know this is your room, you could use the bed." he sighed.**

**"I know I could. You need it though, and I'm not so great with sharing." she pointed out stubbornly.**

**"I thought cats were usually fine with sharing beds with others." he joked.**

**Khloe shot him a look, shrugging. "Maybe others. I just never had to." she said.**

**Anders liked cats, and it didn't bother him in the least to share if needed. As he had said, it was her room, and she could do whatever she felt like. It wasn't his place to argue or complain about anything.  "You could try. If it turns out to be unpleasant, it doesn't need to be repeated." he offered.**

**Staring him down, there seemed to be no ulterior motive that she could pick up on. Hesitating, she crawled over to the other side, curling up loosely by the wall. "I leave the minute this feels weird..." she hissed.**

**"I would expect nothing less." he said, turning away from to help her feel a bit better about it.**

**Laying her head against her arms, she sighed to herself, eyeing him suspiciously for a little longer before allowing herself to doze off. Still a little cold, he found it harder to fall asleep, though the blanket helped some. Glancing back for a moment, he expected her to still look ready to lash out at the first sign of trouble. Surprisingly, she looked peaceful, and deceptively nice, despite her prickly attitude. As a matter of fact, she was already asleep. Who knew what she had done that day, aside from fishing before he met her, she could very well have been more exhausted than she let on. If there was a downside to this world, he had yet to learn it, a place with people who didn** **’** **t care what he was, no actual Templars, no circles. No one who knew who he was, it was as though some divine force had given him a second chance at a fresh start, and he was more than willing to take it.**

 


	2. On to Summerford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khloe's business takes her out of Limsa Lominsa on her first extended trip.

Khloe sighed, staring at the map. She couldn’t make heads or tails of which way she was supposed to go. Baderon had asked her to go to Summerford Farms and help out, which would be fine, if she could ever find it.

“I might be able to help.” Anders offered quietly.

Ready to insist she had it covered, a few more moments of looking at it left her head spinning, reluctantly handing it over. “Fine…” she mumbled.

Studying the map in silence, he handed it back after a short time, pointing off in the distance. “Just ahead, there’s a path that leads right to it for the most part.” He told her.

Sure he had already figured it out, as if to further irritate her. Personally, he was actually turning out to be pleasant company, but she wasn’t quite prepared to admit that. “Thank you.” She grunted.

Anders shrugged, opting not to say anything in reply to it. He could tell she wasn’t in the best of moods, and didn’t want to make it any worse. The girl had gone out of her way to be kind to him, even if she tried to act like it was only a burden.

It was around the start of afternoon when she stopped, taking a seat on a low, flat rock. Khloe didn’t look at him, as if she was pretending he wasn’t even there.

“So, are you hungry?” she asked finally.

“A little bit.” He admitted.

Picking up her bag, she dug through it. A lot of people had very little to offer for her help, and instead often paid her in food. Setting out a large container of juice and some manner of stew, putting it down between them like a barrier. “This should be good enough, right?” she asked.

“It smells alright. It’s edible at least, I won’t complain.” He answered.

When she handed him a cup and some silverware, he took them, his hand accidentally brushing against hers. He braced for a scolding, which never came.

“You have warm hands. It’s nice.” She mumbled, almost too quiet to hear.

Now this was definitely a trap, Anders was completely sure of that much. Instead, turning his focus to the offered lunch, refusing to answer. A small nod being the only recognition that he had even heard what she said to him. Khloe hadn’t eaten much before she set it back down, turning to face him, her eyes almost sad.

“Look, I see how you’re acting, and I think I may have screwed up. I don’t dislike you. You’re good company, and without you, I don’t know if I would have come this far yet. Please don’t be afraid of upsetting me, I’m just… not used to being around people like this.” She explained, staring at her hands nervously.

What was the protocol for this, was he supposed to smile and nod, or was it more acceptable to pat her head? This was a situation he wasn’t quite familiar with. Hesitating briefly, he reached out, ruffling her hair gently. “I understand. I came from a place where people didn’t like me for many reasons. I’m not exactly familiar with how I should be acting either. “he said, pulling his hand away.

“What did you do that people wouldn’t like you?” she questioned.

Anders seemed like a decent person, and imagining that anyone would find him hard to get along with was difficult. Though she wasn’t sure he would actually tell her, or might even lie about it.

“I… blew up the chantry.” He told her, relatively sure that she would force him out of her company and leave him on his own.

“I don’t even know what a chantry is. Though I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t do something like that without a good reason, right?” she said, putting her now empty dishes away.

“At least the reason seemed good to me at the time. It had to happen eventually, something had to change.” He said, handing his dishes to her. “Do you need to rest a little longer, or do you want to get back on the road?”

This was the most they had spoken to each other since the day they met, but duty was calling, people needed help. “Let’s get back to it. I think I’ve rested long enough.” She said.

Anders stood up, stretching. Khloe had already forgotten which way they were heading, turning in a slow circle while looking for anything that seemed familiar. He put a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her towards the path. “This way.” He laughed.

Stopping long enough to grab her book from her belt, she scribbled something on the page, a small emerald creature appearing at her side. “Better to be prepared, this area is supposed to have a high monster population.”

Putting the book back on her belt, she held her arms open, catching it when it jumped up. “What is that thing anyway?” Anders asked.

“This is Carbuncle. My first summon, very friendly and helpful. If I remember my lessons well enough, this variant is slightly magical and uses offense-based magic.” She began.

No time to answer in any way, a hoard of mandragoras rushing towards them. Grabbing the book again, she set Carbuncle down, holding the quill.

The summoned bundle of fluff rushed in, taking the brunt of the damage her focus on keeping its health up so it wouldn’t take too much damage, a group attacking her from the side. Gritting her teeth, she did her best to ignore it. Anders had better skill in healing, but unlike conjurers, he didn’t seem to have the elemental based attack spells they possessed, a small problem at times. Turning away from it, she faced the plant beasts, scrawling furiously, clouds of noxious gas forming around her. One by one they fell, though by the time she managed to divert her attention back, Carbuncle was in rough shape. Slinging her weak healing magic continuously, she got it back on its feet.

* * *

 

Finally making their way away from the battle, she glanced at her book, a look of surprise on her face. “Hey, I learned a new skill. Looks like a decent one too.” She started.

Her steps were slower than before, bruises crawling up the side of her leg where most of the damage had been concentrated. Despite that, she pressed on, walking up the slope to the farm, people coming into view a short distance away.

“You should let me take a look at that. I can fix it for you.” He offered.

“No, I’ll be fine, this is important and it’s already taken far longer to get here than I meant it to. I want to do what I can before the last of the light is gone.” She grunted.

“Fine then, it can wait a little longer, but I insist you let me help you when we set up camp for the night.” He persisted stubbornly.

Laughing, she nodded. “If you insist so strongly, who am I to argue. It’s really no big deal.”

Anders watched her rush ahead, talking to the people. The girl rarely laughed, and for whatever reason, that bothered him. She didn’t come off as very old, and a girl like that should have plenty to laugh about. It was almost sad to think about, wondering what made her so serious. If there was a chance later, perhaps he would find the right moment to ask her about it. At the end of the day, he knew as little of her as she did of him, and if it didn’t get brought up, it would always be like travelling with a stranger, instead of a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun had disappeared completely before she had agreed to set camp for the night. After a short break, she had managed to get the tent ready, large enough to comfortably fit both of them without forcing them too close. The thing she struggled the most with was getting a fire started. Anders bit back a laugh, managing to succeed where she had failed.

“Thanks…” she mumbled, looking away.

Better now than never, he decided to ask about it now. “It’s probably not my place to ask, but I couldn’t help noticing, you seem fairly serious.”

“You want to know why. I see.” She said, debating with herself if she should just explain it. “It doesn’t feel right. Seeing the way people suffer, why should I be happy about that? I’m doing my best to put things right, and every time I get somewhere, I get knocked back.”

He carefully ushered her into the tent to take a look at her leg. Understanding without explanation, she eyed him suspiciously, but stretched out on her side. Easing her robes up high enough to get a decent look, he pressed his hand lightly against her.

“So because there are people who aren’t happy, you won’t be either?” he asked, making conversation to take her mind off of the situation.

“It’s not like that, it’s just… I feel like I have no reason to be happy, I guess that’s more accurate.” She said. “It looked to me like you don’t have many reasons either.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, his eyes locking with hers briefly.

“I saw it. The girl, the explosion, all of it.” She told him quietly, hiding her face in the pillow for a moment.

The concept that she could accurately see those things struck him as odd, but he was willing to entertain it. If indeed she did see it as she claimed to have, it would be interesting to know her opinions. “And what did you think about it?”

“I think it’s sad. That you felt like you had no other choice, that she hurt you. You wonder why I’m not happy, and yet compared to those things, you have even fewer reasons than I do.” She answered, turning to face him.

The way she twisted caused his hand to slip just a little higher, quickly pulling away, though if she noticed, she gave no indication. The chantry being brought up was one thing, but the idea of talking about her was a bit harder.

“Have you ever been in love?” he questioned.

She shook her head slowly, moving to sit up once more. “No.” she replied with a shrug.

“It can’t be expected of you to know what it’s like then. Spending so much of your life dreaming of one person, only to find out she was interested in someone else. It’s a pain that’s hard to get past.” He said, turning his back to her.

Knowing she hit a nerve, the desire to make it right was there, but how to do that was beyond her understanding. Helping with other things, she could do. Fixing this felt impossible. Propping her hands under her chin, frowning deeply while she gave it a little more thought. Silence getting to her, she hesitated, sneaking closer, her arms wrapping around his waist from behind, hugging him gently.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She murmured, letting go.

Moving to face her, he gripped her wrist, pulling her back again. It bothered her slightly, but she relented, if it helped, it wasn’t a big deal, right? Once more, she reached around him, stiffening at the feeling of his arms on her back. She wasn’t one for making contact like this with anyone, and it was hard to get used to. Some part of it was mildly enjoyable, deciding against complaining for the time being. When the feeling got too strange, she pulled away, her tail thumping nervously on the bedroll.

“You didn’t have to do that.” He said, trying to better gauge her reaction.

Why she would do such a thing if she found it troublesome was what he didn’t quite understand. However, the look on her face said she had no answers for him either. Writing it off as if it were nothing more than a task she had completed. Instead of choosing to acknowledge his words, she pointed to the opposite side of the tent.

“You just stay on your side.” She huffed, curling up loosely, her back to him.

Not entirely familiar with her, she was a challenge to read. Always hovering somewhere between mild enjoyment and perpetual irritation. Despite her assurances that it wasn’t because of him, he had to wonder if it was at least slightly, his fault. Since he arrived he had inadvertently pushed her out of her comfort zone, and yet she hadn’t sent him away. What he was supposed to think about a situation like that was the kind of thing that kept him awake at night. Best to leave her alone.

* * *

 

Morning not far off, finally about to give in to sleep, he jumped slightly, glancing down. Familiar hands curled around him, a quick check pointing to her still being asleep. Curled against his back, he frowned. If he woke her up, she might be angry, but if he didn’t and she woke up like this, she might also be angry. With so few options, the one that sounded like a decent choice being to pretend being asleep until she had the chance to realize on her own and move away from him. Intentional or not, he had no reason to complain, the extra warmth was nice enough. The previous proximity between them had been due to limited space, to have so much room and still manage to get this close would certainly bother her. Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes, attempting to relax enough to doze off.

‘I shouldn’t be surprised. I probably deserve this, offended the Maker, this is my punishment.’ He thought.

* * *

 

Morning rolled around, and the feeling of her moving woke him from his light sleep. Any moment, she would push herself away and grumble to herself about it. After several minutes had passed, he chanced a peek, definitely awake, staring at him, in fact, and yet she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get away.

“Is it time to get up?” he asked, playing it off as though he had been woken up.

“I think so.” She murmured, light filtering through the small gaps in the bottom of the tent.

Still, she didn’t move. He reached down, resting a hand on hers, wondering if that would get her attention. More time crawling by, finally moving her hands away, rolling to the opposite side of the tent, crawling out without a word. Unusual, but he decided not to press his luck, letting it go to avoid a lecture about minding the space.

“Looks like a few more things to take care of here, and then back to Limsa.” She said, stretching lazily.

That she hadn’t said anything one way or the other was bothering him. “Last night…” he started.

“It won’t happen again, I’m sorry.” She answered, not giving him time to finish his sentence.

“I didn’t mean it like that…” he sighed.

“Let’s just agree it was an accident, and maybe forget about it…” she said, putting a little distance between them.

Forgetting about it would be a fine thing to do, the problem was that it was stuck in his head now. If he could actually forget it. Though he wasn’t about to tell her that much, at least his thoughts were private, something he didn’t have to share with her or anyone else.


	4. Distance

A full week had passed, and as she had insisted, they had all but dropped what had happened. She had taken on some more work to keep busy, though in his mind, it was more of an excuse. People needed help and she wanted to be available to do just that. Passing through the city, a man had taken note of her, waving her closer, a largely inaudible conversation taking place between them.

“I’ll be back…” she had said distractedly.

Anders had no way of knowing how much time had passed before she finally emerged from the building. The name alone seemed suspect to him. The Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss, and yet there was so much secrecy involved for a place whose very name conjured images of chantry sisters. Trying to imagine her in the garments alone was odd enough, but she hardly appeared to be the devout type, there was more to this than the situation suggested.

She came back out wearing different clothes from the worn robes she had entered in, a short red skirt complimented by stockings and short boots, sleeves detached from a black leather top. Her book nowhere in sight, instead, a dagger resting on either hip. Resuming her place at his side, he couldn’t help but fixate on her, waiting for her to say something, anything. They had reached the Aetheryte plaza once more, and still, she said nothing, curiosity getting the best of him.

“Dutiful Sisters, huh?” he asked, unsure how best to phrase it.

“That’s right. It appears that they took notice of my work and asked if I might be interested in joining.” She answered, picking up the pace as she headed for the gate.

“I’m having trouble picturing you as a Sister.” He admitted, following her lead.

Khloe laughed, actually laughed, not looking back, though she eventually answered. “Do you really think a group of Sisters would need a guard at the door?”

“No, that was the point of asking. I’m fully aware there’s more to it. Perhaps I have the wrong idea of what kind of ‘business’ goes on there.” He said.

She stopped then, turning to face him, her cheeks tinted with embarrassment. As though it had finally occurred to her what he thought was going on. “You think it’s… that I…” her words trailed off slowly.

“Not you. You don’t strike me as that kind of girl either.” He said, taking a step in her direction.

Unsure why it mattered what he thought of her, letting him think that was what it was for was somehow troubling her. Desperate to clarify it, she felt the reasoning hardly mattered. “Fine, if you must know, it’s a guild for rogues. Like pirates, but with a code. I joined up, okay?” she mumbled nervously.

The word ‘pirate’ instantly brought Isabela to mind. That alone was more than enough to make him rethink what they did. While this girl still didn’t strike him as being anything like her, it was hard to escape the awkward curiosity such a comparison induced. “Do honest pirates even exist?”

“I imagine so. I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.” She said, turning her back to him.

Being more magically inclined, it would be interesting enough to see if she had any prowess with weapons like these. With Arcanist, she was urged to maintain distance between herself and her foes, in contrast, this would force her to get up close and personal. More risk to combat this way, the saving grace to it being that she still had access to her rather weak healing magic, the other spells she could use were little help at present. Anders caught on that she wasn’t quite as confident with the idea of physical combat right away.

“I’m obviously not going anywhere, you’ll be fine.” He said.

Drawing the blades, taking a good look at them, she frowned. Jacke hadn’t given her much in the way of advice as far as proper posture or tactics, and that concerned her, but it was possible he thought she could figure it out on her own, the whole point of giving her a list of basic targets to practice with. While wandering about in search of anything on the list, she spoke, almost distractedly to him.

“Did you really think I would do that?” she questioned.

“No, I meant it when I said I didn’t think you were that kind of girl.” He told her, assisting the search.

“You could have just asked; I would have told you…” she mumbled.

Tugging on her sleeve, he pointed in the opposite direction. Khloe turned around, heading off towards a group of rats.

“Yes, can you imagine that? ‘Khloe, I know we haven’t known each other long, are you by any chance a virgin, how many men have you actually slept with?’ Fine conversation indeed. It’s hardly important if you are or aren’t.” he said, hanging back.

“I suppose when you say it like that…” she sighed.

Charging in, a flurry of blades, exactly as challenging as she thought it might be. Her strategy had been to engage them one by one, but the moment she hit one, the rest of the group took notice, going after her. The first few fell easily enough, and yet, for one just starting out, even this small group was more than too much of a challenge for her, running back towards the river in an attempt to lose them. No chance to rest after all, Anders ran after her, trying to match her speed, though the girl proved to be faster than he gave her credit for. She stopped, back to the bank of the river, presumably to see if she had lost them. Most had given up and retreated, except a few persistent rats, one of which she quickly dispatched, the rest harassing her still, cuts from claws and teeth visible all over. One good strike causing her to lose her balance, teetering dangerously, he reached to steady her, falling back into the shallow waters with her. The remaining rats seemed to want nothing to do with the water, fleeing to join the rest. Shaking his head, he glanced down, her eyes focused on his.

“I’m sorry, that was my fault…” she said nervously.

He found himself staring, the slight glimmer of the sun playing games with the color of her eyes, lighter in appearance than usual, close enough to count the freckles scattered over her face. It made no sense, there was no reason, no hint given in the realm of interest, no explanation for it whatsoever. His hand tangled in the wet pink and white curls, drawing her closer, kissing her briefly, barely grazing her lips. Letting go, he moved to stand, a hand stretched to help her up. Obvious confusion written on her face, she took it, swaying slightly as she stood. Sure of her footing after a moment, she pulled her hand away, brows knitted together while she worked to process what happened.

“Forget about it?” he asked.

Sounding less for his sake, she shrugged, brushing a hand quickly through her hair, cheeks puffing out as she exhaled. It was confusing her just as much as it had him, searching his mind at that moment for any plausible reason. Not answering immediately, she leaned against the bank, pulling herself out of the water, shivering mildly. Despite the warm spring weather, the water had been cold, and that much at least made sense. Walking past him, her eyes flitting around for something, but offering no indication as to what she was after, whether she intended to resume her rat hunt, or perhaps seeking a warm place to sit and dry off.

“For the record, the answer is zero.” She finally said.

Falling silent again, she picked a direction, a bridge not far away. Taking a seat, the squish of wet clothing bunching up eliciting an annoyed reaction, arms crossed over her chest, her nose wrinkling up briefly. He expected some manner of backlash, surprised when there wasn’t any, sparing him an almost innocent glance. Following her look to the spot next to her, she meant for him to dry off too, he gathered. Moving next to her, he tipped his head back, focusing on the clouds for now. A sense of relief washing over him that she hadn’t immediately told him to get lost, making the connection just then as to what she meant. The theoretical conversation from earlier, as she said, she chose to answer, wondering if there had been a reason, she didn’t need to answer at all, and in his mind, he maintained that it didn’t matter one way or the other.

“I…” he stopped, trying to decide where he was going with it. “Don’t regret it.”

She reached down, taking her boots off, dumping the water out of them and setting them out next to her to dry separately. Pulling her sleeves off, she draped them over the railing, a quiet, mostly distracted answer offered after some time.

“I’ve never done that before.” She admitted.

There was a story there, though it was best saved for another time, perhaps. She was young that much was clear, but not so young that she shouldn’t have at least been kissed before.

“I see you have questions. You may as well ask now…” she sighed.

He hadn’t intended to ask anything, though since she was receptive, taking the opportunity seemed reasonable. If he waited for another chance, it might never come up.

“Is there no one you like?” he asked.

Taking it to mean ‘why haven’t you’, she grimaced. She had worked tirelessly to avoid telling the story, but now that she had made it out, there was no reason not to.

“I was meant to have an arranged marriage. I didn’t like him, and my mother disagreed. She got me away from the Woods, and their just hasn’t been anyone, I guess…” she mumbled.

“Your father’s idea, then?” he questioned, out before he could even think it through.

“Everything was his idea. Even my mother was only one of many. Males in the group are forced out, he only keeps women around, and most of them are older. They’re at odds with authority, poaching is against the law of the Twelveswood. The Coeurlclaw King, he calls himself. Not actually royalty, just a lawbreaker who can’t keep it in his pants.” She grunted. “I have a brother somewhere, my mother told me, but I couldn’t begin to say where he might be.”

There it was, or at least he suspected that was it. The real reason she rarely smiled, couldn’t bring herself to laugh. A father who wasn’t worth looking up to, family she couldn’t find, and a mother unable to make her own choices. She probably told herself it was because others were suffering and unhappy to hide her own unhappiness. Sad enough, to be sure, her constantly shifting attitude making more sense as well.

“Won’t he come looking for you?” he asked quietly.

“I doubt it. He wouldn’t dare leave the woods, the Wailers and the God’s Quiver would take him down the minute he tried. I’m safe as long as I stay away from the Twelveswood, I think.” She said, her eyes closing slowly.

It was still plenty early, yet she seemed exhausted. It was possible the cold had sapped her energy, or maybe it had something to do with the Keeper of the Moon bit she told him when they first met. While she was being so open, the odds seemed favorable that she wouldn’t get upset with him. He was fine, wet, but warm. Reaching an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer. Her fingers curled against the front of his coat, shivering again as she snuggled closer for warmth.

“So you know, I’m not trying anything. You’ll warm up faster like this.” He said, a little defensively.

“I know. If I thought you were up to something, I would have said something about it.” She murmured.

It couldn’t have been comfortable, twisted in such a position, and yet, she dozed off with ease. Had she said something, he wouldn’t have minded setting up camp, a bedroll had to be more welcoming than a hard bridge that looked like it was riddled with splinters from wear. As sweet as she had proven she could be, there was a certain reluctance to get too close to her. She wasn’t Hawke, though if that was a good thing, or bad, he wasn’t ready to decide yet.


	5. My First Dungeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khloe heads into Sastasha by herself, and Anders waits impatiently for her return.

Switching back for the time being, Khloe spent the morning getting ready, silent initially, as was to be expected. There was a problem in a nearby place that needed clearing out. A fact that had her strangely excited, though it wasn’t until she burst from the tent in a blur of energy that she explained why.

“A dungeon, actual challenging monsters, and even pirates! Can you believe it, they think I’m perfect for the job!” she breathed, spinning on her toes.

“You have been working fairly hard, I’ll give you that much. I have to wonder though, dungeons? After days of hunting minor threats, picking plants, spraying for bugs and fetching wayward birds?” he asked.

It was far from doubt in her capability, but more wondering why her. Why would they go from sending her to deal with trivial tasks to something this big? Disassembling the campsite and packing up, she reached for his hand, trying to pull him in the direction of said dungeon.

“Does it matter why? This is a big deal…” she mumbled, still trying her best to drag him.

Giving in, he followed finally, if only to make her feel like it was her doing that caused it. A convenient path led the way, even she couldn’t get lost this way. Marching up to the entrance, she spoke with someone who let her in. Anders sighed to himself, preparing to follow, though the guard refused his entry.

“I’m sorry, I was only told to let her in.” said with a slight shrug.

Palming his face, he tried to think of what to do, taking a seat. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, and she’d come back eventually. To make her go in alone, that seemed particularly suspicious to him, not seeing how they could trust her to deal with monsters and pirates and whatever else was hiding out, if that was actually the intent. For all he knew, they sent her in there on purpose, to die. He stared down the guard for a few moments, looking away after a bit. His best guess at an hour, if she wasn’t back by then, then there was only one course of action, fight his way in and hope she was alright. Anders managed to convince himself that it wasn’t that he particularly cared for her, just that he owed it to her for taking care of him and not leaving him on his own.

* * *

 

She was making fine time, certain she was at least halfway through, so far easy enough. Nothing she couldn’t handle, even a large coeurl that ambushed her had posed little threat. The pirates she was warned about had been few and far between, the thing that scared her the most about them was the way they spoke about her. The idea of being kept prisoner by foul-smelling, armed and dangerous killers seemed far from pleasant. For that reason, more than anything, she made sure to offer no opportunities.

* * *

 

An hour had to be fast approaching, or so he thought, pushing himself to stand, pacing back and forth. Turning back to the guard once more, he frowned.

“She’s been in there awhile; don’t you care what could be happening to her?” he snarled irritably.

“I’m certain she’s fine. She’ll be out soon, please be patient…” squeaky, concerned about his anger, it seemed.

He shook his head, sighing again. Clearly, this peon didn’t have the spine to go in and check. Just as he was preparing to go in, a long shadow cast along the mouth of the cave gave him pause. Slow moving, that much was fact, shrouded in darkness, not immediately able to tell if it was her or something else entirely.

“There you are. Your friend was getting a bit impatient.” The guard said.

A shock of white emerged from the darkness, her face peering out as she stepped into the light. A sheepish grin on her face. No worse the wear except where she held her hand over her shoulder, blood seeping through the tight spaces between her fingers. He strode over to her, moving it away gently, in case it was painful. A deep gash, but nothing he couldn’t fix.

“What happened?” he asked quietly.

“Ahh, nothing serious, I didn’t dodge quickly enough, blade nicked me is all.” She said, her smile slowly fading away.

“Are you done here? I can take care of it.” His voice calmer than it had been.

She nodded once, thinking to herself for a bit. “I need to get back to Limsa to report in, but other than that, I’m done here.”

Walking away with her, they ducked around the corner, a safe enough spot for the time being. Leaning against a wall of rock, getting as comfortable as was possible. His eyes fixed on hers while he worked, waiting for her to say anything else, but there was nothing. On him to break it then, if conversation was the goal.

“So what was in there?” he asked casually.

“They suspected pirates, and they weren’t wrong about that. The real problem is that there was a group of Sahagin in there. That could mean trouble soon, or maybe not. Impossible to say with any degree of certainty.” She said, the eye contact unnerving to her, instead, focusing on the wound, which was mending.

“I see, they sent a lone girl to do the grunt work that should have been handled by someone else.” He mumbled to himself.

“It isn’t like that, they trust me to be able to handle it…” she said, almost sadly.

In his mind, she was clearly being used, and just couldn’t see it. To her, it was something entrusted to her because she had proven herself. As much as he wanted her to see it for herself, he didn’t have the heart to crush that illusion. She just looked so sad, ears drooping, as though she might cry at any moment. Shaking his head, he brought his free hand to her hair, scraping back and forth gently.

“You’re right, you’ve proven you can do it.” He affirmed.

None of the earlier energy she displayed remained, save for the faintest trace of a smile. Selfish enough, some part of him wondered if it was for him, or if it was a result of perceived capability. He took a step away, pointing to her arm. Looking down, her fingers brushed back and forth, pleased with the result. Anders fully expected her to walk away, or maybe a disinterested ‘thanks’, instead, she closed the distance between them once more, tilting her head curiously.

“Were you really worried about me?” she asked.

“Only that you were alone. You could have died, it wasn’t right.” He said, shrugging like it was nothing.

It worked, to some extent, she looked away, kicking idly at a patch of dirt. About to turn away, she pushed herself onto her toes, her arms around his shoulders.

“Thank you… for helping, not just now, I mean. I must be poor company…” she struggled, trying to string together the words in a way that made sense.

She had to be so confusing all the time, one minute she didn’t seem to want anything to do with him, the next she was excited for something, another she wanted to be closer, and in the next moment, wanting to forget it. His head was spinning just thinking about it, to say nothing of the field day Justice was having, the thoughts unending, unimpressed. As though history was beginning to repeat itself, warning him not to get too close. He meant to continue on ahead, and yet she wouldn’t let go, eyes half closed, lost in thought, possibly. He’d regret this, that much was already obvious. A finger resting under her chin, directing her to look at him, and it stung the minute she did. Trust, that was the look he saw, and there was no bloody reason, she barely knew him, and he hardly knew her. Tipping his head to the side, he kissed her again, longer this time. Long enough to experience just how soft her lips were, the taste of tea lingering, the gentle sounds of her breathing. Hard to tell if she was trying to work out what was happening, or if the slight way her lips parted was an offering. His tongue dipped in for a moment, brushing against hers, before he decided it was too much. Pulling back from her, he slipped out of her embrace, clearing his throat.

“Limsa, you said? From here, it’ll be dark before we get there. Up to you, do we keep going and set up camp when the last of the light is gone, or would you prefer the room?” he questioned, trying to bring the focus back to the matter at hand.

Her heart was racing, something she didn’t understand, deciding it was just because she was probably still excited about the big assignment. Considering the options, she decided on the room for the night, her hair still smelled like saltwater, and after so much walking, her legs hurt again, a hot shower sounding too tempting.

“We’ll stop at the inn for the night.” She said decisively.

Letting her lead, he hung back a few paces, hoping she wouldn’t look back. That small glimmer of happiness would surely fade away if she saw how he looked, mentally beating himself up. The same thoughts repeating, not wanting to go down this road again, how he wasn’t sure why he was drawn to her, that she was trouble, a million things on loop, all at once. If nothing else, it was completely overwhelming, and the thing troubling him the most was that he couldn’t tell, but he thought he felt something, just the tiniest fragment of a sliver of a feeling when he thought she kissed him back. Readily admitting he might have imagined she responded, though if it was a trick of the light, why was it sticking with him like this?


	6. Magic

She had been given a task that had her nervous. Much of the day had been spent in silence, pacing back and forth, deep in thought, weighing the options. Part of her had wanted to give up right there, the other part insisting she had to keep going. Something like this could very easily go wrong, and end in blood, but that sense of obligation was strong as well. She stopped finally, dropping to sit behind him, tugging at the band holding his hair in place, scraping her fingers through a few times, braiding and unbraiding his hair.

“What are you doing?” he asked, staying still anyway.

“I’m nervous, alright?” she huffed. “I should have asked if you minded, but I can’t think straight…”

He sighed to himself, not particularly feeling like arguing. “It’s fine, but you have yet to explain what has you so worked up.”

The way he saw it, it was definitely his business now, better to know what the plan was, so he had some kind of idea what he would be getting into. It was frustrating how often she tried to keep things to herself that pertained to him.

“They’re having troubles with the Deepcroft in Gridania. It’s away from the spot I’m trying to avoid, but if he finds out, I’m in trouble. If he discovers my mother helped, he’ll kill her too…” she said, so softly he barely registered her words.

Her hands slowed until she was barely moving, resting her head between his shoulders. She was shaking, just a little, but still enough to be felt. The way she spun it, it hadn’t been very long since she got away, to have to go back so soon, he understood why it might frighten her. He couldn’t think of a single fitting thing to say, no words to ease her mind, nothing he could think of that might make her feel better about it.

“Are you going?” he asked instead.

She shook her head. There was an option, one that she wasn’t fully comfortable with. “I want to go to Ul’dah. The Arrzaneth Ossuary, I can learn…”

The name offered few hints as to what it might be for, though his curiosity was piqued. “What are you trying to learn?”

Khloe stared down at her hands, sitting up again. “How to control magic.” She said simply.

Anders turned to face her then, brows drawn together, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn’t appear to have anything else to say, he pointed to the tome at her hip. “I thought you already could. What else do you need to know?”

“I… was born with other magic, I just never learned how to control it. I can’t really figure out how to use it. Most people go to Ul’dah to study there, anyone can learn it, but some are born to it.” She said.

“Why is it so important that you learn it? Will it really make you feel better if you could control it?” he asked.

He had no problem with the idea, in fact willing to fully support it if it was something she truly wanted, and if it would give her the courage to face her problems, that was a bonus.

“The Coeurlclaws are very mixed in disciplines, they are fluent in close combat, and in ranged fighting. They don’t keep mages around the Rot. Not even healers, my father has an innate distrust of magic.” She explained “Certainly other sects have mages, but not his.”

So learning how to better use her magic would also give her a tactical advantage over him. The idea of trying to incite fear through magic troubled him, but he had to guess it was an isolated incident. Something about the way she said it made him want to know.

“Is it just to make others fear you, or is there more to it?” he asked, his expression almost suspicious.

“No, absolutely not!” she protested quickly. “I can help people with it too, protect innocents, punish the wicked, just like any other discipline. The sword can be used to defend or to kill, why should magic not be able to be both?”

Anders couldn’t tell if it was an honest answer or if it was said to ease his mind on the subject. Willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, he reached for one of her hands, tracing the lines of her palm idly. “You said you saw everything. I’m curious what you would have done in such a situation?”

Her eyes slid shut, indulging in the almost ticklish sensation for a moment before answering. “It seems like a tough situation. I don’t quite know the whole story, but what I saw, there were problems on both sides. Not everyone against magic was guilty, and not every mage was innocent. I can’t say that I would have done something so drastic, but clearly something needed to change. I don’t think anyone should be punished for what they can do, just because others can’t. The things I saw though; I also can’t say for sure that some shouldn’t be monitored. It’s really hard to say, as I said, we don’t have things like that here, and I could never truly know what it’s like.”

It was a fair answer. Without experiencing it for herself, she was only seeing part of the picture. Not without merit, she wasn’t particularly wrong, some of the Templars had indeed probably been innocent, and the number of mages who had resorted to blood magic and taken the wrong path proved she understood that not everyone among them was innocent. That she realized something had to change without going through it was mildly impressive.

‘If only Hawke had saw things so clearly.’ He thought.

She spared him, sure, but ultimately sided with the Templars, a mage herself, and she was unwilling to help her own people. He let go of her hand, disappearing in his thoughts a little longer, his attention gone. Khloe watched him in silence for a time, trying to imagine what he could be thinking about, given the topic, she guessed he was reliving the chain of events. Spending much of her time trying to focus on her own business, she realized she hadn’t really bothered to take a good look at him. For a human, he wasn’t bad looking, though he had the look of someone who was exhausted, gone through a lot more than he should have, perhaps. She leaned closer, her fingers brushing his hair away from his eyes, now closed. Pulling her hands away quickly, she frowned, running a finger against her lips, recalling the kiss. She could no longer force herself to feel irritated by it, and that bothered her, the more she thought about it, the more it was getting to her. Like a question that needed an answer, her hands came to rest on his shoulders, leaning in once more, kissing him. Summoning him from his thoughts, intending to gently push her away, his arms came to rest around her waist, the opposite of what he wanted.

The girl was warm, relaxing for the first time all day, her fingers sliding into his hair. She broke the kiss, pulling back from him, though he found himself drawing her back again, telling himself it had just been too long, and that it had nothing to do with her personally, though he knew that was a lie he was using to deny it. Unsure how much time had passed, he let her go, her expression almost defiant.

“I’m not going to apologize.” She told him, crossing her arms stubbornly.

He smiled slightly, brushing his hair back slowly. “I’m not sure I want you to.” He admitted nervously.

She moved to stand up, rushing to make sure she gathered all her things. Anders watched her a little longer before joining her, knowing they’d leave soon. It didn’t look like she was poised to say anything else, and yet he had the feeling they would have to talk eventually. This wasn’t usually the kind of thing that kept happening without some manner of serious discussion, after all.


	7. Impatience

Anders didn’t like the idea of being left alone around such suspicious people. He had followed her in, waiting by the receptionist’s desk for her. A scattering of voices could be heard towards the back, one for sure was Khloe, but that he was hearing several other voices arguing amongst themselves was strange.

“I can teach you to reach the very depths of your powers, to harness and wield them as naturally as taking a breath.” The first said confidently.

“Please, this is clearly my specialty, waking the latent abilities of born mages…” a second grunted.

“I’m the guild master, it should be my job.” A third protested.

She looked between the small group anxiously, unsure who to focus on, a helpless expression on her face as she tried to gather information from them.

“Please, I just… I need…” she mumbled, though none stopped the discussion to acknowledge her just yet.

“I can handle this, guys.” Another insisted.

Her tail bristled, straightening along her back, irritated. She tapped her foot impatiently, finally reaching a point where her calm, quiet demeanor washed away. “Alright, I just need _someone_ to help me, and I don’t readily care who does it!” she hissed.

They stopped, turning to look at her, surprised by the sudden outburst. He had to admit, it caught him off guard as well, and he had seen her in an irritable mood many times.

One split from the group, tiny hands brushing the front of his robes before he reached out to her, shaking her hand firmly.

“I’ll take you on. I can help, but I warn you it will take some time. If you’re prepared to deal with that, then I think you’ll find we can work well together.” He stated.

She glanced in his direction, as if asking if he minded, to which he shrugged. He wasn’t running the show, and as long as they decided on _some_ course of action, he didn’t care. She nodded then, eager to begin, but it seemed he wasn’t quite prepared yet.

“I must ask you to return tomorrow, I haven’t had a case like yours in some time, and I need to find what I need. As you can see, this is a large building, so searching will require time.” He explained, eyeing his siblings as he spoke.

“That… that’s fine.” She mumbled dejectedly, dragging her feet back towards the door.

As they left, the arguing resumed quickly, this time the subject being where the materials were stored. Anders rolled his eyes, not since well before he left had he heard bickering like that. She pointed a short distance down the pristine road, her shoulders drooping as she walked. “The inn is this way; I’ll get a room.”

He had no particular interest in this place, content enough to check in, despite how early it was. People far too concerned about themselves, wherever he looked, something he found unpleasant. She approached the counter, pushing a ticket across the polished wooden surface, grabbing the key and heading to the door. The pitiful figure she cut reminded him of a dying flower, dragging and wilted. She leaned against the wall with a sigh, and he walked past her towards the window ledge, stretched along the narrow seat.

“It’s just a day, you can handle it.” He said.

“I know… but waiting is so borrring.” She said.

Not that he’d bother to tell her, but the way her words rolled like that reminded him of the cats he used to care for. Fitting, he guessed, and he probably should have known not to expect otherwise. Unsure, but he guessed this was actually the accent she normally had, the usual clipped way she spoke felt too much like it was learned, as if absorbed from time spent away.

She looked up finally, sniffling quietly. “I should have asked, is there anything you wanted to do while we’re here?”

Again, not particularly. He had no idea what there was to do anyway, but he had little desire to roam streets where one end was dressed in silks and jewels, and the other side filled with beggars in worn cloth. The disparity made him tense, and the last thing he wanted was an outburst in the middle of a city he didn’t know.

“I’m fine here.” He said, avoiding the explanation.

The girl knew what was inside him, but that was a secondhand experience. He had no desire for her to see it up close, especially not since she was working to build a positive reputation for herself. She took the few steps to the bed and rolled mid-fall onto her back, quickly tugging her skirt back down when she landed.

“You’ve been awfully quiet. What’s on your mind?” she asked, trying to take her mind off her own boredom.

There it was, wondering if he should actually bring it up, or if it would better serve him to say he was just observing the scenery. Too trusting, even if she suspected it was a lie, he imagined she wouldn’t even call him on it if he did. He moved to the opposite side of the window ledge then, closer to her, preferring if to be a quiet discussion, no louder than needed.

“This, whatever keeps happening. It’s about time we talk about it, don’t you think?” he asked.

She quickly turned her attention to the ceiling, wondering if she should make an excuse to leave or if it would be better to stay and deal with it now. “Wh…what specifically do you think we should discuss?”

He shot her a look, almost scolding, the kind of look that told her she should take it seriously. “You know very well what I mean.”

Exhaling slowly, Khloe turned onto her side to face him. She looked nervous, worried, remembering then that she hadn’t really had experience with these things. For a moment, he regretted pushing her into such a serious topic so easily, but it served neither of them to leave it alone.

“I mean, what are you expecting…” she clarified, her tail sweeping the sheets just behind her, emphasizing her anxiety.

“I expect nothing but honesty. I’ll ask it plainly. Was it just a kiss to you?” he pressed.

She shrugged hopelessly, struggling to think of the best way to explain it, poking at her stomach lightly. “My stomach felt strange, twisted almost… but if you mean something else, I couldn’t say.”

If he had the right of it, she felt it too, that was at least something. He hadn’t imagined it after all, but that lingering question of what to do about it was still there. Not something to rush into, and with no reason to hurry, he decided to leave it up to her then.

“One last thing. Take time to consider it either way. I won’t push you into something you’re not interested in, but it’s important to know if you want this or not. For both our sakes, even you must see that we can’t keep going with this between us, it needs to be cleared up.” He told her, his features softening just a bit, not quite as serious as before.

How could she understand that this wasn’t like deciding on how she wanted to wear her hair, or any of the decisions she made every day. Even if he could find the words to explain it to her, he doubted she would get it or see it the way he did. Even a small part of himself, the part that wasn’t Justice, realized this could be a mistake, regardless of the outcome.

“Today is turning out strange…” she mused quietly, focusing on her fingertips, holding her breath as she waited for something that didn’t happen.

“If you’re trying to make it happen, the only thing holding your breath will accomplish will be to make you dizzy.” He said.


	8. Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khloe's training pays off, but not well.

Khloe had been hard at work with her training for a week now, and Anders found himself wondering if she had learned anything. Why she had such a block when it came to this type of magic but not her summoning was odd, but he suspected it might have had something to do with what she mentioned about magic not being allowed in the Rot. A familiar story to him, mages who didn’t want to be caught and sent to the circle, it might have been the same, or worse. If her father might so casually kill her mother for helping her leave, if he feared magic so much, perhaps he’d be willing to kill her over it too. That thought actually made him more than a little angry, but he worked hard to keep it in check, turning his attention to tidying up the room while he waited for her to return.

* * *

 

“Are you sure this is actually normal?” she asked, frowning.

“This is an essential step, if you want to unlock it, you have to be pushed like this.” The Lalafell said.

According to him, the dusty tome suggested that strong emotion often helped. For that reason, he had enlisted the help of someone from the Gladiator’s guild to come and incite a strong sense of panic. She leapt around, unable to do more than dodge the persistent strikes, no time to even look back to make sure her footing was steady enough.

“You _must_ try to defend yourself, if all you do is run you won’t accomplish anything.” He scolded.

“How can I do that? She’s too quick…” she sobbed.

“Concentrate, I can’t do this for you, nor will I.” he said, unexpectedly severe for such a tiny person.

It felt as though time had slowed, and she knew fear, the blade coming towards her. She twisted clumsily at the last moment, avoiding most of the strike, though part of it caught her shoulder. The woman stopped, meaning to check on her to make sure she was alright, but once more, the teacher yelled.

“She’ll be fine, keep going.” He shouted.

It seemed like she didn’t want to, watching the way Khloe held her hand over the cut. Obeying despite her reservations, she raised her sword once more, coming towards her. Tripping, she lost her balance, raising her hand in an effort to hold off another blow, unable to control the flow of aether, what should have been a fireball came more like a blast, catching in her hair, though she quickly managed to put it out. It was enough to cause the woman to back away, looking to the teacher for instruction. Khloe had singed her skin, light burns across her chest and up her right arm, painful but nothing that couldn’t be fixed up quickly enough.

“Troubling. You managed well enough, but you have so little control. We’ll call it here tonight, and pick up after you’ve been treated and have a chance to rest. I need to look into a few more things, now that I can see a bigger problem. Eventually, you’ll be able to use it at will, but that means nothing if you can’t adjust how much you pour into it.” He sighed, rubbing a small hand against his temple.

Wincing, she nodded, extending her free hand towards the woman, who promptly shook it. “Thank you for your help. I hope I didn’t get you too…” she mumbled nervously.

“It’s alright, the armor protected from most of it, you look worse off, you should have someone tend your wounds before it gets worse…” she said.

Heaving a deep sigh, she nodded, trudging her way towards the door. “I won’t argue with that…I’ll come back tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be a little less…clumsy.” She whimpered.

* * *

 

The door opened, and he glanced up. He expected it would be her, but at the same time, the instinct to survive meant there was always a split second where he worried someone had somehow tracked him down. Seeing the condition she was in, he sighed, gesturing to a nearby chair.

“Take a seat… let me take a look.” He said.

She sat down, hanging her head, moving her hand away from her shoulder. “In case you’re wondering, most of this is my fault. I’m sorry to trouble you.”

He lightly pushed her head back, taking a good look at the burns. “So you did this to yourself?” he asked skeptically.

“Something went wrong with the fire, something about not being able to control how much energy I’m putting into it.” She admitted nervously.

“I can’t guarantee this won’t hurt, so you might want to sit still.” He warned. “Your hair got it too, I see.”

“It could have been worse. It’ll grow back, I’m not worried about it.” She said, tensing at the slight pain the raced across her skin.

He clearly hadn’t been joking about it hurting. Gripping the edge of the chair, she bit her lip, trying to remain still, though it was a challenge. It was silent for a time, before he moved away from her, going towards the window, something she was discovering he did often.

“Hey…” she said quietly.

“Did I miss something?” he asked.

“No… I just… wondered if maybe you wanted to go outside for a bit, the sky is a lot prettier when you see it…you know, not through glass.” she murmured nervously.

Anders didn’t answer, heading for the door. Taking that to mean he would go, she followed, keeping her head down. Surprisingly, where there were usually a thousand swarming thoughts in her mind, there was nothing there now. Just outside, they circled back behind the building, taking a seat. The sky looked almost painted, so many colors all blending together, signaling the end of the day’s approach.

“Not everyone likes it here. That doesn’t mean everything has to be bad about it.” She sighed, leaning back.

“Not everything is bad. This is alright.” He answered, though he sounded almost…was it annoyance?

That reminded her she hadn’t actually had a lot of free time to think about what he had asked. Maybe it was bothering him that she hadn’t said anything about it, but it could have been anything. She could see memories, sure, but that didn’t mean she could read minds at will, though it would be handy. Grabbing his arm gently, he turned to look at her, the look on her face resembling the saddest of puppies.

“I don’t have anything to give you.” He said, almost jokingly.

“About…what you said before.” She began meekly. “are you actually sure you could like me…I’m different, and…admittedly a bit of a pain.”

“Different isn’t terrible. You’re not a pain, trust me, I’ve dealt with worse people.” He grunted.

No, she was clumsy. He could think of a number of people who were more reckless and unconcerned than her, at least she was usually apologetic when she got hurt, and it was admittedly in her quest for self-improvement or helping others that she got hurt in the first place. Coming back from his thoughts, he froze, realizing she had gotten very close to him without him noticing. Big, odd eyes fixed on his almost curiously, as if she had been trying to figure out what was on his mind.

“Are you okay?” she asked, scooting back after a moment.

“I’m fine, I was just thinking.” he sighed, sweeping his fingers through his bangs.

“Did you hear me?” she mumbled nervously.

“No, I’m sorry. What were you saying?” he asked, turning his attention back to the sunset.

Khloe spoke so quietly; he wasn’t immediately sure he had heard her correctly. “I said yes…” she whispered shyly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter. I decided to leave this as a will they-won't they break at the end.

Khloe walked in, as she had done every day for so long, it had become a ritual. She would sit long enough for him to examine her, heal her if needed, then she headed for the shower, and then for a snack before she would stop at the bed, and fall in for a nap. Exhausted, she sat down, closing her eyes, her head tipped back, emitting a groan that conjured stiff, aching muscles. Anders stopped at her side, no visible wounds today, a first for her since she had begun her training. He stared down at her for a few moments, trying to decide what to do, his finger brushing slowly down her throat, a mix of smooth and rough sensations scratching lightly on her skin. She arched slightly into his touch, though she didn’t seem to mind. Bending low, he kissed her gently, her lips parting slightly at the light contact, deepening briefly before he pulled back.

“You’re alright. Surely this means you’re improving?” he asked curiously.

“A little. More like I’m just getting really good at dodging…” she admitted.

Standing up, she took a few steps towards the dresser, rifling through the clothes, more than there had been. Making a quick choice, she turned on her heel, closing the door behind her. Not long after, the sound of the water filled the room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. It had been a bit over a month since her training had started, and by that line of thinking, since she had made her decision, and it seemed little had changed. He was in no great hurry to make anything further happen, but at the same time, surely something should be different. Perhaps it was something worth discussing later, when she had a chance to relax. As he expected, after a time, she walked out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry on her way to the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the counter.  Khloe took a bite, leaning against the counter, her eyes fixed on him after a moment.

“You look like you have something on your mind.” She observed.

Anders said nothing at first, thinking. She polished off the apple after a few minutes, crawling into the bed, stretching out behind him. He sighed quietly, laying down at her side, turning to face her, a hand brushing along her cheek, staring into her eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about you. That’s all.” He said.

A faint blush crawled across her freckled-dabbled cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. Leaning in, she kissed him, her eyes sliding shut as she did, intended only to be a quick one, his hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer, probing her tongue gently at first, then deeper, harder. She moaned faintly, taking a deep breath when he broke away.

“I suppose I shouldn’t ask whether it was good or bad thoughts.” She murmured faintly.

He watched silently, her tongue sweeping across her lips, bringing her head to rest against his shoulder. “I was beginning to think you didn’t enjoy being so close.”

Khloe frowned a little, her fingers lightly kneading his shoulders, shaking her head. “I like it fine, just that…I’m motivated, I don’t want to have to keep avoiding an entire city-state because of one person. I refuse to live in fear, and I won’t let someone else fight my battle for me. I’m not saying I won’t get help if I need it, only that I’d rather it be blood on my hands so no one else becomes a target…” she explained, her words quick in a way that said her anxiety was rising, and she was uncomfortably stressed. “I just need a little more practice…”

It was his turn to frown now. Anders had succeeded in coming up with a list of reasons why he should take a backseat role in her journey, standing quietly out of her way, letting her handle things for the most part. At the same time, he wanted to help, to make things easier for her and somehow reassure her that he would be there for her if she needed. That he could feel the tension in her muscles, and hear the increase in her breathing that said he hadn’t been helping at all, not where it counted. He had wondered why she was distant without realizing he was doing the exact same thing, still holding back. Dipping under her shirt, he massaged her back slowly, creeping higher, he stopped, it had nothing to do with it being too much, but more the discovery that she had opted against wearing anything under that shirt. Quickly freeing his hands, he hesitated, nudging her to look at him, his hands slowly sliding under her shorts, just enough to seek out a band, some thin material, something. There was nothing again, a very faint, yet sly smile on her face, the pale blush from before deepening to a brilliant red.

That look said she had planned it, but if she intended to explain the reasoning, she was taking her time about it. His head dropped down slowly, his mouth sweeping along the side of her neck, biting softly down the gentle slope to her shoulder. When he stopped, she looked away, a nervous look on her face, her lower lip fixed between her teeth, freeing it only to speak.

“I thought maybe… you might…” she began, stopping to compose her thoughts. “I’ve never done anything like this before…if you want to…just…be gentle” she mumbled nervously.

It was a tempting offer, though as much as his body was begging him to accept immediately, he couldn’t. He pressed his brow to hers, gently brushing his fingers through her hair. “What do you want? I won’t do something like that simply because it’s convenient. I need to know how you feel about it.”

He could feel the muscles in her lower back pulling, her tail sweeping along the edge of the bed, her eyes once more closing as she mulled it over. There was a lot on her mind in that moment, if things went poorly, she might never have another opportunity, but at the same time, if she did this now, and things went smoothly, would things somehow be different? Then again, if she never took chances on anything, wouldn’t her life just be boring, safer probably, but there was no excitement in risking nothing.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I was against the idea. I’m fine with it.” She said.

Those words spilled out without her knowing quite whether that was what she meant to say, or if it had been something more impulsive. Either way, she had no desire to rescind her words, tensing a little as he brought her closer once more, exhaling slowly, moving to bring her shirt up, halting halfway up, allowing himself one last chance to rethink what he was doing.


	10. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning~

Anders frowned slightly as he looked at her. She was a good girl, and he was beginning to have reservations about it. He wanted this, and she was willing, though the thoughts running through his mind were enough to make him reconsider. This kind of thing made things change, and not always for the better, but at the same time, he could see her point, if the situation went wrong, if something happened, if she…he didn’t want to think about that. Shaking his head, he kissed along her neck slowly, stopping long enough to speak with her.

“Doing this…I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I don’t want you to give up, don’t take it as reason to think you won’t make it – you will. For now, just relax.” He murmured.

It was strange for her, she was beginning to get used to seeing the past visions that came with the Blessing she had, but for someone else to read her so well was unnerving, to a small degree. That she could die was the thing that weighed most heavily on her mind, her father wouldn’t so much as flinch over such an act. It was hard to relax, even as his hands wandered and explored, her reactions natural, though it was as if she barely registered them at first. His lips found hers, the first moment of clarity she had, her eyes closing, focusing on him finally. She lifted into his touch without recalling a conscious thought to do so, accidentally nipping at his lip in response, though he seemed not to mind, returning the gesture gently. Pulling his hand back, he slowly worked her shorts down, going back when they were off. He broke away from her lips, pausing to undress, giving her time to peel away her shirt, her face lit almost crimson, the full gravity of what she had asked for finally setting in.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

Khloe wanted to deny it, concerned he might call it off if she admitted to it, but the way her heart pounded sounded loud enough to hear, and he would easily realize it was a lie. She nodded, biting her lip, waiting for him to say that he no longer had any interest, though he said no such thing, returning to her, lightly kneading her hip, quickly kissing her.

“I won’t lie, it might hurt, but I’ll try to be gentle.” He assured her.

Even so, he moved over her, gently pulling her leg to the side, his brow resting against hers. She gripped his shoulders firmly, her eyes squeezed shut in preparation, whimpering when she felt him press against her, feeling him still when he stopped, her best guess that he had slid in all the way, then stopped. The pain that was there vanished slowly, her grip letting up after a time, signaling him silently by letting up on her grip. Anders dropped her leg around his waist, his arm slipping around her waist, moving slowly, fixing his gaze on her. Her eyes opened, blushing brightly when she looked into his eyes, it was strange, a foreign sensation to her, all of it, but especially this, maintaining eye contact with anyone was something she rarely did, but like this, it was almost too much.

Without realizing it, she _was_ beginning to realize it, her mind blanking almost completely, concentrating only on him and what was happening, the first time she could recall such a phenomenon, an almost blissful thing to not have anything clouding her thoughts. Moving faster, she could feel the silken sheets slipping along her back, enough for it to grow warm from the friction, the sounds of his panting quickening, suddenly aware that she was making the very same sounds, nearly in unison with his, a fact which only deepened her embarrassment, reddening trails extending from his shoulders, down his chest causing her to notice that at some point she had scratched into him as well. Her head dropped back, pressing into the pillows, her body clenching and relaxing, huffing out loudly at the feeling it induced.

Anders nipped at her neck, along her shoulder, an urgent need building throughout his whole body, like lightning racing through him, tingling shocks splitting down his stomach, slowing then, unable to hold in any longer, pulling her tightly to him. She relaxed completely under him, a thin coat of ice forming on the sheets under her hands, where they had come to rest, chuckling weakly. All her hard work had barely paid off, but this, this was enough to trigger just a small flow of energy, amusing in some small way. Twisting free from her, he moved from her, laying at her side, lightly drawing circles on her shoulder, deciding against asking her thoughts, certain he could guess what she might say based solely on her lack of complaints. Instead, after a few minutes, he reached for her hand, looking it over out of curiosity, it still felt cold, but the frost was gone, not enough energy poured into it to maintain, and not enough to hurt anything, but it was something. A step in the right direction perhaps, it could be that her block was entirely a result of having too much on her mind.

“I think too much.” She mumbled with a quiet, muffled yawn. “I see that now.”

For a girl who insisted she could only see memories, it certainly seemed at times that she _could_ read his thoughts, though it was surely just a coincidence. That she might take it the wrong way was the entire reason he decided not to comment on it, implying that she should think less felt insulting even to him. Prior to her seeking out a teacher on the matter, she had been working almost non-stop, it made sense that she hadn’t kept much time for herself to de-stress and unload her problems for a while.

“You should relax more. I realize this is important to you, but you need to do more for yourself as well. Letting it build up is only going to make you sick, trust me on this, I am a healer, it’s my job to understand how these things work.” He told her.

Anders thought she might argue the point, instead, met with a nod of understanding. Khloe muffled another yawn, curling up next to him, her head on his chest, apparently in need of a nap. It had been quite a long time for him, and it was a mixed feeling, somewhat disappointed that he hadn’t been able to give her everything he had intended to do for her, but also pleased that he had managed to tire her out regardless.

“You’re right. A nap sounds nice.” He said.

Granted she hadn’t said anything, but she really didn’t need to for him to agree with her. Resting his head against hers, he sighed, draping an arm around her once more, keeping her close as he slowly drifted off.


	11. Point Blank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders pursues Khloe's kidnapper, nearly too late to save her. A mysterious figure arrives to aid him.

A few weeks had passed, and Anders had learned her schedule by memory. She rarely ever deviated from the same daily routine, always back by a certain time, or just a few minutes late on the rare occasions when she got held up. Khloe was slowly figuring out how to adjust as needed, but still wasn’t there yet. He sat by the window, though his gaze was firmly fixed to the door. She was very late, and that was troubling, no mention that she planned to stay late with her teachers, nothing said about running errands. Still, he waited, not wanting to rush to action too quickly, in case it was actually nothing. When another hour had gone by without her return, he resolved himself to return to the social mess that was Ul’dah, recalling where the Ossuary was. Stepping outside, he looked carefully down both paths, thoroughly examining the milling crowds. Not there either, he made his way towards the guild, stopping in front of the receptionist at the counter. 

 

“I need to speak to the guildmaster, which one is that?” he asked, recalling there had been five here before. 

 

“You’ll want Cocobuki.” she said. 

 

He said nothing, lofting a brow questioningly.

 

“The one in black.” she clarified. 

 

Anders nodded his thanks, heading to the back. Coming to a stop in front of Cocobuki, he took a deep breath, waiting for him to notice. 

 

“Ah, I remember you. You’re Khloe’s friend. Is there something I can help you with?” he asked. 

 

“She hasn’t returned yet, is she still here?” he wondered. 

 

“No, she left quite a while ago...odd.” he stopped, turning to one of the others. “Go and fetch Wymond, it’s his job to know what goes on here.” 

 

Nodding, he hurried out, almost faster than his short legs should have allowed. They waited together for his return, minutes later, another man in tow. Cocobuki led the conversation, looking up at him, a considerable task for one so small. 

 

“Wymond, this man says Khloe hasn’t returned, you remember her, yes? Have you seen her at all?” he questioned. 

 

Wymond adjusted his glasses, tapping his head in thought before he spoke. “Indeed I have, few hours ago, she walked through the center of town. Someone tapped her shoulder and she looked sick all of a sudden. They were speaking, not sure what about, but it was clear she knew her. Went with her, though I admit, she didn’t seem pleased about it.” 

 

“What did this woman look like?” he pressed for details. 

 

“Lot like her, Miqo’te, looked like she came from the forest. Dressed like she was anyway, older than her, by a fair bit, I’d guess.” he said. 

 

The situation was just getting worse by the second. It was becoming all too clear in his mind what had happened, and it was not at all what he wanted to hear. The forests were her home, Taker’s Rot the location she had said. All women, save for her father, the king. Someone had found out where she had gone and come to reclaim her. He swore under his breath, that extra time he spent waiting for her to return had given them a head start, and he  _ knew _ what would happen if he didn’t reach her in time. 

 

“Gridania. How do I get there? The quickest way possible.” he asked, verging on demanding. 

 

The smallest of the five held out a small bag to Wymond, seeming to realize he had nothing on him of value here. He gestured with his head towards the door. 

 

“Take him to the airship, make sure he gets on.” he instructed, turning his attention towards him. “This will get you there in minutes. I hope you know the way from there, the woods aren’t very forgiving. “ 

 

Wymond led the way out, hastening the pace to a near sprint. It sounded like the situation was dire enough to call for all the speed he could muster. “When you get there, there’s a woman at the counter, Miounne. If you at least know where you need to go, she can point the way for you.” 

 

“Thank you, I appreciate this…” he sighed. 

 

\----

He checked the map he had been provided with by the kindly elven woman. His search beginning in the South Shroud, at any other time, the scenery would have seemed breathtaking, but here, now, it was maddening. Trees so thick as to obscure his view in places, and enough foliage and creatures to slow him down. Time was running out, and it had his heart racing, nauseous at the thought of what he might see when he finally arrived. Khloe was a good girl, her bad experiences not enough to sully her innocent, nearly pure, if also naive outlook on life. He had witnessed her kindness towards others in ways he hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. Even Hawke had eventually given up trying to improve matters, realizing that there would always be more need, more that had to be done to even put a dent in the problems. It was like she didn’t know enough to realize how daunting the task ahead of her would be if she insisted on helping anyone who needed it. 

 

He glanced down once more, fairly certain he was getting closer. That was when the sound of voices caught his attention, ducking down to observe and listen. She had warned the forest was dangerous, and even her teachers had painted a nearly merciless picture. 

 

“Look what the  _ cat _ dragged in. I don’t like it when what’s rightfully mine goes missing...In fact, it really infuriates me. I don’t think you could manage without help though, could you?” he asked. 

 

He couldn’t see who he was speaking to, but he had a  _ very _ good guess that it was Khloe, the sound of his hand connecting ringing out audibly. 

 

“No, I think I know how you pulled it off…” he stopped, glancing behind him. Anders could see the fearful face of an older woman as he stalked closer. “Cemi, did you help her? Did you let her escape?” 

 

He reached for his staff, unsure exactly what he meant to do, but knowing instinctively that something was about to happen. His hand fell to his side, clawed fingers stroking the hilt of a sword. Anders rushed in, but not before something called his gaze back to the girl. A wisp of fire, not quite enough to do any harm shot out, and he jumped back, drawing his blade. 

 

“Did you see what she did? She tried to attack me...Cemi can wait, this bitch goes first…” he spat. 

 

The one he called Cemi leapt up, onto his back, claws digging into his back, teeth aimed for his neck before he threw her to the ground, poised to strike, his feet frozen, not mere feet away when his blade found her, piercing, the shrill cry echoing. Khloe raised her hand once more, only for him to stomp it down, pulling it back quickly, managing to ignore it enough to crawl towards the woman, putting herself between them. He could wait no longer, the man was readying his weapon once more, prepared to coldly end his own flesh and blood. Visions of mages being cut down filled his mind, and he felt the steady loss of control that went with it. He crossed into the camp, the man looking away long enough to notice him. He stalked towards him, nodding the women gathered to follow him. Khloe didn’t want to abandon the one he called Cemi, conflicted as to what to do, she pushed herself to stand, stumbling towards the chaos. 

 

He forced back most of those in his way, not yet close enough to her father to do anything, registering her approach, but unable to stop her. The man looked between him and her, intent on thwarting what he perceived as an attempt to steal his property. His hand reached out, snagging her towards him, blade pressed to her throat in the hopes he would panic and back off. She scraped desperately at his arm, legs flailing helplessly as he lifted her away from the ground. Justice drew closer, pausing at the radiating light emanating from her form, almost blinding, the source unknown, nothing on her that would reflect the sun’s rays so much. Her eyes flashed with pure white light, for only an instant, before it faded, letting her hands fall to her sides, the energy building inside her felt heavy from where he was standing. 

 

Danger. Justice could sense it, backing away slowly. The man dropped her, hissing at the pain he felt, scorched skin, still sizzling visibly. Her touch had burned through his flesh, just barely, enough to free herself, but she was not done, not by half. Rising again, the very picture of a phoenix from the legends, turning towards him once more, the pent up energy released in an instant, intense enough to leave a smoking crater all around her, blowing him back. She had lost control, shaking steps moving towards him once more, hand trembling as she lifted his blade from the ground, staring at it. Hesitating only for a moment, she drove the blade through his chest, sobbing as it cut through. Justice relented, letting go after a time, Anders dashing in. She had lost consciousness, too much of her energy exhausted too quickly, glancing towards the woman, he frowned. Not dead, as he had thought, but would be if nothing were done soon. He doubted any of the women would help, and he could only carry one.

 

Leaving her behind was no option, he couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t finish the job before he could return. At the same time, if he left her to die, Khloe would surely be furious with him when she awoke. 

 

“You look like you could use some help.” a man’s voice. 

 

Turning to find the source, he saw a man perched in a tree, smiling broadly. Blind in one eye, it seemed, a deep scar across the eye signalling he was not born so. By the scruff on his chin, he was probably around Khloe’s age, though not much older. His tail swayed sinuously, leaping down. Lifting Cemi, he nodded to her as if telling him to hurry. Anders took the signal, picking her up, her limp form felt like it weighed nothing, though he was sure she should have felt much heavier. Without asking too many questions, he followed the man, now humming as he made his way back towards the inn he had come from. 

 

“Miounne will help with the injuries, I don’t think you should have to do it alone.” he murmured. 

 

“How did you know I  _ could _ heal any of this?” he asked suspiciously.

 

“I did a little digging. Kept an eye on her for awhile now, naturally that means I know of you. She talks about you quite a lot, I’ve heard her a number of times.” he admitted freely. 

 

A stalker of some sort? Had she done something to warrant the attention, or was it more that he had been drawn in by her looks?

 

“What do you know, if you’ve heard so much.” he grunted. 

 

“Anders, right? She damn near gushes about you. Says you’re the one who always patches her up. That you don’t complain about how clumsy she can be.” he began, pausing to look at her, as if making sure she wasn’t awake enough to hear him. “I believe I even heard her say a certain three word phrase on one occasion.” 

 

“Why were you watching her?” he barked. 

 

“I received a letter some months ago, from my mother. Gave me a place to start looking for her. I’ve been tailing her since Limsa, only...I wasn’t quite sure how to explain myself to her, so I resigned myself to watching from a distance.” he sighed. 

 

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the things he said, but then, a lot had happened in a short time, and nothing felt like it made sense.

 

“I can see you still don’t understand. That’s alright, I’ll make it easy.” he said with a smile. “This woman, Cemi, is my mother.” he paused, nodding to her. “Khloe is my sister.” He pushed open the door, holding it so he could pass, following behind him. “And I...am Sizha’a Habhoka.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Khloe's last name is also Habhoka. 
> 
> And yes, Sizha'a has two ears, I just decided not to draw the other because I forgot how angles work.
> 
> Now for the backstory on the name. Keeper of the Moon miqo'te that are males are marked in name by order of birth. 'a at the end of his name indicates he is the first son of Cemi's. This is because their father does not allow males in the Rot, so if she ever had more than one, she likely couldn't have facilitated his escape also. 
> 
> Habhoka is actually from FFXI, while they do reuse a lot of Mithra (the XI equivalent of Miqo'te, who as a playable race are strictly female, the game did introduce one male mithra npc, Lehko Habhoka. Seeing as he was a Black Mage, and her innate magic is also Black Mage related, I settled on Habhoka for their last name.) And now, we are all current <3


End file.
